Aug 19 -- The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on behalf of the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS), requests input from all interested parties to identify opportunities for, and inform the advancement of Federal meteorological services across the meteorological enterprise. ICAMS invites input from States; Tribes; territories; individuals, including those belonging to groups that have been historically underserved, marginalized, or subject to discrimination or systemic disadvantage; local governments; appropriate industries; academic institutions; nongovernmental organizations; and international organizations with expertise in meteorological research and development, and service delivery, in both the short- (2-3 years) and long-term (next decade).
This information will be used to inform the development of a new decadal strategic plan for Federal coordination of meteorological science and services using an earth system approach. Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit comments on or before 5 p.m. ET, October 3, 2022.
The Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS) is the interagency organization established in July 2020 in response to the Weather Research and Forecasting and Innovation Act of 2017. ICAMS is the formal mechanism by which all relevant Federal departments and agencies coordinate implementation of policy and practices intended to advance meteorological services and ensure continued U.S. global leadership in their development and provision. By ICAMS charter, one of its primary objectives is to “lead the development of a decadal strategic plan to advance meteorological services with involvement of the Earth system science, service, and stakeholder communities.”
ICAMS leadership plans to develop this decadal strategic plan during 2022-2023. Crafting this strategy will require engaging (1) a wide range of external (non-Federal) stakeholders, (2) Federal agency partners that are new to ICAMS, and (3) Federal agency partners that were previously involved in the development and delivery of meteorological services. This strategic plan should identify opportunities for, and inform the advancement of Federal meteorological services across the meteorological enterprise, including: academia; private industry; nonprofit sector; state, local, Tribal, and federal governments; communities; individuals; and international partners; in both the short- (2-3 years) and long-term (next decade). In particular, ICAMS is interested in:
1. the major needs or requirements for meteorological services, in particular to improve societal resilience in response to global climate change and other challenges;
2. the top coordination gaps or barriers that are inhibiting progress in meteorological services to meet identified needs; and
3. the top opportunities for the Federal Government to advance meteorological services.
For the purposes of this RFI, meteorological services are defined very broadly to:
-- cover all components of the Earth system, including weather, climate, hydrological, ocean, land use, and related environmental services;
-- span all activities over land, at sea, and in the air that contribute to the generation of value for society, including, but not limited to, the protection of life and property, personal and public health, quality of life, sustainability of the natural world, and economic and national security; and
-- include foundational scientific research that provides the basis for the operational activities and public-facing products that have been the traditional focus of “services.”
Prioritizing Existing Activities: Are there any specific meteorological services that you think are currently only partially met by the Federal Government? Are there any that are currently completely unmet? How would you/your organization benefit from the prioritization of these services or the activities that advance them?
Future Opportunities for the Federal Government: What future services and activities do you think the Federal Government should prioritize (please provide what you see as the top three opportunities for the Federal Government) over the next 10 years? What goals would this prioritization help you achieve? Of the opportunities you presented, please identify if any of them can be addressed in the next 2-3 years under existing programs, or if they are longer-term initiatives and strategies. And if relevant, please classify these opportunities into any of the following broad categories: observational systems; cyber, facilities, and infrastructure; research and innovation; and other cross-cutting issues. Please indicate whether there are U.S. Federal agencies/organizations that should be specifically included in those opportunities.
International Activities: How do U.S. capabilities in meteorological services compare to services provided by other countries? Are there meteorological services that other governments provide that the Federal Government should also provide? Are there international partners that the United States should be working with that the Federal Government is not working with currently?
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-17894
Correction
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-18959